Distance Learning Engagement, Family Communication, and Internalizing Problems Among Chinese American Families During COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Finding Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives From Different Stakeholders in Schools

Abstract

Objectives
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the country have been temporarily closed and distance learning was implemented as a compromise, bringing a number of challenges to schools, families and students. There have been rising concerns about the negative effects of social distancing, distance learning, and subsequent social crises on the mental health of children and youths, particularly among those in the racial racial/ethnic minority groups and vulnerable communities (Golberstein, Wen, & Miller, 2020). The country-wide anti-Asian racism and hate crimes added an additional stress to adolescents and their families of Asian American communities in the U.S (Sanchez, 2020). So far, we have a very limited understanding about the factors within the family contexts that could help prevent or reduce Chinese American adolescents’ mental health risks during the pandemic. To address this research gap, the study aimed to examine how Chinese American adolescents’ engagement in distance learning and their family communication concurrently and interactively influence their internalizing problems during the pandemic.

Theoretical Perspective and Framework
This study is guided by systemic models of human development and family functioning, particularly the family system theory (Carr, 2015) and family stress model (Conger et al., 2002), which emphasized that COVID-19 pandemic will influence children’s adjustment in a cascading fashion. According to these theories, social disruptions from the pandemic will generate heightened levels of psychological distress for caregivers, impacting the quality of relationships among parents and their children (Prime et al., 2020).

Methods
Participants of the study are 193 families including both Chinese American adolescents (49.7% females and 50.3% males, aged between 10-19) and one of their parents. Online survey data were collected using Likert scales. Reliability analyses and confirmatory factor analyses showed that all Likert scale/subscales achieved adequate construct validity and reliability. Regression analyses were conducted using SPSS to estimate the main and moderation effects.

Results
Upon controlling for adolescent and family demographic factors, results of linear regression modeling showed that adolescents’ engagement in distance learning and both types of problem-solving family communication (i.e., affirming communication and incendiary communication) were significantly associated with adolescents’ internalizing problems reported by Chinese American adolescents and their parents. More specifically, higher levels of adolescent distance learning engagement and affirming communication style and a lower level of incendiary communication style were positively associated with less internalizing problems among adolescents. These findings were consistent with both reports from adolescents and parents. Moreover, per adolescents’ self-report, the affirming communication functioned as a significant moderator in the association between distance learning engagements and their internalizing problems. The significant moderating effect suggested that affirming communication style functioned not only as a preventative factor for internalizing problems, but also as protective promotor to intensify the preventative role of distance learning engagement on adolescents’ internalizing problems.

Significance
The findings highlighted the importance of promoting affirming family communication and distance education engagement and reducing the incendiary communication in preventing Chinese American adolescents’ internalizing problems. Practical implications for family education during the pandemic will be discussed.

Authors

• Xueqin Lin, University of California - Berkeley

• Meg Stomski, University of California - Berkeley

• Chunyan Yang, University of California, Berkeley